Imaging fracture distributions of the Al-Khuff Formation outcrops using GPR and ERT geophysical techniques,Al-Qassim area,Saudi Arabia

Khuff Formation is of utmost importance in Saudi Arabia for oil and gas reservoir although it is composed mainly of limestone. This reason refers to the existence of intensive fractures which play a vital role in the increase in porosity and permeability of this formation. The fracture pattern in the study area was verified through 2D and 3D ground penetrating radar (GPR)-defined and electrical resistivity tomography (ERT)-defined surveys. In this respect, ten of 2D GPR surveys were collected along an intersected grid of profiles covering the study area while ERT data were collected along three profiles of the GPR grid. The results were interpreted in light of the field-based structural and stratigraphic assessment of the outcropping rocks. The analysis of the inverted ERT and filtered GPR sections revealed the presence of fractures. Several resistivity and electromagnetic reflection anomalies were laterally and vertically identified across the measured sections clarifying fractures that extend to a depth of 24 m in the limestone. Most fractures are oriented vertical to sub-vertical dipping both east-west and north-south.     

Ground penetrating radar and 2D electric resistivity studies for tracing hydrocarbon leakage site,close to Abha City: a case study

This work presents the application of the ground-penetrating radar (GPR) method and electric resistivity tomography (ERT) technique in outlining a zone of contamination due to the light non-aqueous phase liquid (LNAPL) plume underground in the area of an impacted fuel station, close to Abha City. The GPR has been performed using SIR3000 unit with the 100 and 400 MHz antennas. The main objective of the GPR survey was to evaluate the lateral extension of contamination. The complex GPR signature of the plume was well characterized. Low reflectivity zone corresponds to hydrocarbon vapor phase in the vadose zone. Enhanced reflections are associated with free and residual products in the fractured saturated zone directly above the water table. An electric resistivity tomography (ERT) survey was performed on four profiles within the site to investigate the vertical and horizontal extent of the contamination plume and to define the bottom of the landfill. The 2D electric profiles show the presence of low-resistivity (4O to 37 Ω m) anomalies that refers to the presence of accumulated hydrocarbons. From the interpretation of the GPR and ERT profile, it was possible to locate the top and bottom of the contamination plume of the waste disposal site. The radar signal penetrated deep enough and enabled the identification of a second reflector at approximately 10-m deep, interpreted as the hard basement surface which causes the strong amplitude reflection in the GPR profile. The results of GPR and ERT showed good agreement.     

Geophysical Surveys over Karst Recharge Features,Illinois,USA

Karst aquifers supply a significant fraction of the world's drinking water. These types of aquifers are alsohighly susceptible to pollution from the surface with recharge usually occurring through fractures and solution openings at the bedrock surface. Thickness of the protective soil cover, macropores and openings within the soil cover, and the nature of the weathered bedrock surface all influence infiltration. Recharge openings at the bedrock surface, however, are often covered by unconsolidated sediments, resulting in the inadvertent placement of landfills, unregulated dump sites, tailing piles, waste lagoons and septic systems over recharge zones. In these settings surface geophysical surveys, calibrated by a few soil cores, could be employed to identify these recharge openings, and qualitatively assess the protection afforded by the soil cover. In a test of this hypothesis, geophysical measurements accurately predicted the thickness of unconsolidated deposits overlying karstic dolomite at a site ab     

Integrated near surface geophysics across the active Mount Marzano Fault System (southern Italy): seismogenic hints

Here, we describe an original geophysical multi-method approach applied to the Mount Marzano Fault System. This is one of the most hazardous seismogenic faults of the Apennines (Irpinia, southern Italy), and it was responsible for the 1980, Mw 6.9, earthquake, along with many others before. We carried out electrical resistivity tomography (ERT), ground penetrating radar (GPR) measurements, and horizontal-to-vertical spectral ratio (HVSR) microtremor analysis along several common transects designed across the potential and/or certain fault traces. The data obtained from these non-invasive, inexpensive, expeditious methods mutually integrate with and complement each other, providing a valuable subsurface image of the near surface fault architecture. ERT depicts the general shallow image of the fault zone and of the fault-controlled sedimentary basin, with the depth of the buried bedrock cross-correlated through ambient-noise HVSR results. GPR delineates the very shallow geometry of the fault and of the associated deformation. Coupled with previous paleoseismological studies, these data allow the evaluation of some fault parameters and the precise locating of the fault trace, to aid future paleoseismological investigations aimed at seismic risk reduction programs.     

The application of GPR and electrical resistivity tomography as useful tools in detection of sinkholes in the Cheria Basin (northeast of Algeria)

Sinkhole collapse is one of the main limitations in the development of karst areas, especially where bedrock is covered by unconsolidated material. Studies of sinkhole formation have shown that sinkholes are likely to develop in cutter (enlarged joint) zones as a result of subterranean erosion by flowing groundwater. Ground-penetrating radar (GPR) and electrical resistivity imaging or tomography (RESTOM) are well suited to mapping sinkholes because of the ability of these two techniques for detecting voids and discriminating subtle resistivity variations. Nine GPR profiles and two-dimensional electrical resistivity tomography have been applied, with relative success, to locate paleo-collapses and cavities, and to detect and characterize karst at two sinkhole sites near Cheria City where limestone is covered by about 10 m of clayey soils. The survey results suggest that GPR and RESTOM are ideal geophysical tools to aid in the detection and monitoring of sinkholes and other subsurface cavities.     

Geophysical response of filled sinkholes,soil pipes and associated bedrock fractures in thinly mantled karst,east-central Illinois

Karst aquifers are often protected by a thin mantle of unconsolidated sediment. Soil pipes and sinkholes may breach this natural protective barrier and open pathways for contaminants to quickly reach bedrock aquifers. Geophysical surveys offer a quick and noninvasive way to identify these features; such surveys may also be sequenced to reveal increasing detail in critical areas. At a study site in east-central Illinois, electromagnetic (EM) surveys mapped high conductivity anomalies over filled sinkholes and soil pipes that penetrated the unconsolidated cover. Two-dimensional inverted resistivity sections, made over these anomalies, depict filled sinkholes and soil pipes as conductive zones above deeply weathered bedrock fractures. Borings verified the geophysical models and suggest high conductivities associated with the filled sinkholes are the result of enhanced moisture near active soil pipes. EM surveys also identified conductive zones in the overburden above a probable bedrock fracture linking sinkhole areas 0.5 km apart. Resistivity and EM methods, used in a phased and sequential manner, thus proved useful in mapping filled sinkholes and in delineating the vertical and lateral connections between soil pipes and hydraulically active bedrock fractures.     

Use of two-dimensional electric resistivity and ground penetrating radar for archaeological prospecting at the ancient capital of Egypt

Two-dimensional (2-D) resistivity and ground penetrating radar (GPR) surveys facilitate tracing of buried archaeological relics at the archaeological site of the Tell El Rabi'a, southwestern Cairo. These surveys also provide information on variations in depth of the groundwater table, which affect both exhumed and buried archaeological remains. The 2-D electrical resistivity profiles obtained show some high anomalies (up to 6900 Ω m). Based upon on-site calibration at partly exhumed sites, such anomalies are interpreted as pillar crowns and wall-like structures of hard limestone of the Hathour temple. The low background resistivities are interpreted to represent riverine deposits with differing moisture (or saturation) characteristics. The results of the GPR survey show three forms of high-amplitude radar anomalies, denoted as “P, H and R”. The “P” anomalies have semi-hyperbolic shapes, which suggest the presence of thin buried walls. The second, near-horizontal group of anomalies, “H”, may be either due to the presence of thick buried walls or arise from coincidental parallel alignment of survey lines with buried linear structures. The third group of GPR anomalies “R” is composed of chaotic reflections, and interpreted to depict buried stone-filled chambers. Some un-exhumed parts of the study area show weak radar reflections with occasional highly attenuated radar signals. These phenomena are ascribed to differing compaction and moisture characteristics of riverine soil layers. Recommendations with regard to archaeological site-excavation, preservation of archaeological relics, and soil conservation are submitted.     

Electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) of a coastal carbonate aquifer (Port-Miou, SE France)

As part of a larger regional research program “KarstEAU”, the authors have applied electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) techniques to characterize heterogeneities in the Port-Miou coastal karst aquifer (Cassis, SE France). Field surveys were carried out on intensely fractured and karstified Urgonian carbonates. Extensive research has characterized macro- and micro-scale geology of the Port-Miou area and particularly underground water-filled conduits and fault/fracture and karst systems within a former quarry. The authors applied 2D ERT along two surface profiles of length 420 and 595 m to test capability for delineating subsurface conduits and possibly relationship between conduit and fault/fracture/karst orientation; and 3D ERT with a dense 120 electrode array at 1 m spacing (11 × 10 m) was applied over an area of the quarry that had been profiled using 3D georadar and which has had intensive nearby structural geological interpretation. The 2D profiling imaged several underground conduits at depths to >50 m below ground surface and below sea level, including possibly the main Port Miou submarine spring and smaller springs. The 2D profiling within the quarry provided a better understanding of the connectivity between major fractures and faults on the quarry walls and secondary springs along the coast supporting flow of the secondary springs along interpreted fracture orientations. In addition, 2D inversion-derived conductivity models indicate that high resistivity zones above sea-level are associated with non-saturated zones and low resistivity anomalies in the non-saturated zone are associated with residual clays in paleokarsts. A partitioned lower resistivity zone below sea-level can be associated with a higher porosity/permeability zone with fractures and karstic features. Inversion models of the dense 3D ERT data indicate a higher resistivity volume within the larger surveyed block. The survey characterized the non-saturated zone and the ERT resistivities are correlated with karst features interpreted by 3D georadar and visible in the inferior wall of the quarry.     

The impact of subsurface geological structure on the groundwater occurrence using geophysical techniques in wadi El Kallabiyyah and wadi As Sabil,East Esna,Eastern Desert,Egypt

The present study aims to explain some hydrogeological problems that are related to geological setting in two wadis: El Kallabiyyah and As Sabil East Esna. For this purpose, land magnetic, vertical electrical soundings, and two-dimensional electrical resistivity imaging profiles were measured. The lithological succession comprises Upper Cretaceous to Quaternary deposits that rest on a Precambrian basement rock. The results of the interpretation of the land magnetic measurements in wadi El Kallabiyyah represent the depth to the basement rock which ranges from 260 to 660 m and increases towards the northeast trend, but in wadi As Sabil, there is a large basin at the center of the wadi with the recorded depth to the basement reaching 1,300 m due to the effect of two normal faults (F1 and F2). The results of the interpretation of the vertical electrical sounding and two-dimensional imaging confirmed the presence of these faults in wadi As Sabil. The results of the geoelectrical measurements in wadi El Kallabiyyah represented the water-bearing layer at the third unit that consists of sands, gravels, boulders, and clays. The presence of clay will affect the potentiality of a drilled well. For wadi As Sabil, the results of geoelectrical measurements led to the lower part of the second unit which acts as a water-bearing layer that consists of sands, boulders, gravels, and clays. It can be concluded that the best site for drilling wells in wadi El Kallabiyyah is at vertical electrical sounding no.5 with a total depth of not less than 230 m. In wadi As Sabil, the drilled wells must be concentrated at the center and the downstream.     

基于高密度电阻率成像法的基岩裂隙网络原位识别试验研究

对于以低渗透性基岩为处置围岩的核废物地质处置库来说,基岩中的裂隙网络是地下水进入处置库和放射性核素从处置库向外界环境迁移的主要通道。因此,研究基岩内裂隙网络的空间分布特征,对核废物的地质处置是否安全具有十分重要的意义。本文以花岗岩为例通过野外试验,分析研究了利用高密度电阻率成像法（ERT）,对处于不同状态条件下的基岩中裂隙网络进行三维原位识别的效果及能力。结果表明在以高阻值为主要电特性的基岩中,利用ERT对基岩中三维裂隙网络进行原位识别是可行的,并且裂隙的电阻率特征能较好的反映出裂隙的空间分布位置和形态,但对裂隙网络识别的效果与测线方向有关。     

高密度电法在水库坝基无损检测中的应用

某坝基为砂卵石基础,其下为强风化基岩,坝基渗漏和左右岸绕坝渗漏是该水库坝基存在的主要地质问题。为此,采取了塑性混凝土防渗墙与双排帷幕灌浆相结合的综合防渗措施。为了检测水库坝基及塑性混凝土防渗墙施工质量,防止水库正常蓄水后发生渗漏,选用了高密度电法进行无损检测。工程采用温纳施伦贝尔法观测,分别采用5m和10m电极间距,电极数60个,剖面数16。依据5m和10m道距实测视电阻率剖面与反演结果的解释,对水库坝基和防渗墙的工程质量进行了评价,认为-25m桩号塑性混凝土防渗墙可能存在渗漏问题,-80m桩号对应一低阻异常,坝体可能存在渗漏通道;其余部位未发现明显异常。     

Geotechnical assessment of ground conditions around a tilted building in Cairo, Egypt using geophysical approaches

The flood plain of the Nile River has been a safe dwelling throughout history. Recently with a growing population and vast growing urbanization, some buildings have started to experience structural damages, which are not related to their construction design, but rather to the ground conditions around the buildings' foundations. Variations in properties of the soil supporting the buildings' foundations such as soil-bearing capacity, moisture content, and scouring may eventually lead to the failure of these buildings. This study is attempting to characterize the variations in the soil properties around the City Star shopping mall, in eastern Cairo, where a large building has tilted over the past few years. This tilting may lead to the collapse of the whole building if it continues at the same rate. An integrated geophysical investigation including multi-channel analysis of surface wave (MASW), ground-penetrating radar (GPR), and 2-D electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) was used around the affected building to help detect possible causes of deterioration. The GPR data showed a soil-filled layer overlaying a thick bottom layer of higher moisture content. The MASW data revealed a middle layer of relatively low shear wave velocity sandwiched between two relatively high shear wave velocity layers. The ERT data showed an upper low resistivity layer overlying a high resistivity layer. Integrating the interpretations of the three geophysical methods provides a combined model that reflects lateral and vertical variation in the soil properties. This variation becomes dramatic near the tilted corner of the building.     

Determination of mechanisms and hydrogeological environments of Gangxianlane landslides using geoelectrical and geological data in central Taiwan

Electrical resistivity tomography (ERT), single-point-resistance logging with time-lapse, and geological and groundwater level data, are utilized to determine the mechanism of, and a hydrogeological model of, the Gangxianlane landslide in the west-central part of Taiwan. The rock surface and geometry of the colluviums were found by integrating ERT and borehole data. The iso-resistivity line in the bedrock broadly followed the bedding plane, indicating that the contribution of lithology to resistivity exceeds that of groundwater. The results of single-point-resistance logging with time-lapse and borehole data reveal that the bedrock has low permeability, which is associated with poorly developed joints and fractures. The fine grain content part (including the clayey layer), almost parallel to the bedding plane of the bedrock and between the colluvium and the bedrock in the upper part of the landslide, served as the slip surface and is believed to have been recently produced. It can block and retain water in the colluviums. Accordingly, this slip surface has the potential to re-slip in the future. Another slope failure involved rock collapse by a well-developed open release joint close to the Huoshaoping Terrace. It is also related to groundwater flow over a large gradient from the Huoshaoping Terrace. It is a key to determining whether this landslide will expand in the future.     

基于随机分布的断裂破碎带GPR剖面特征分析

为了验证探地雷达在查找基岩中断裂破碎带的有效性、以及进一步认识破碎带在探地雷达反射剖面上的表现特征,结合概率论和数理统计知识,通过设置断裂破碎带中介质的介电常数在一定空间范围内随机分布,建立了更为贴合实际的断裂破碎带模型,使用时域有限差分方法正演模拟其二维GPR反射剖面,较好地揭示了断裂破碎带的GPR剖面特征.通过对不同破碎程度和基岩具有不同介电常数的破碎带模型进行正演模拟,分析其正演GPR剖面的图像差异,较为深入地认识了断裂破碎带在GPR剖面上反映出的特征.最后,进一步引入工程实例,发现通过正演模拟揭示的断裂破碎带GPR 剖面特征在断裂破碎带的实际探测剖面上也是存在的,说明通过正演模拟来指导实际资料的解释是现实可靠的.     

Characterisation of groundwater recharge conditions and flow mechanisms in bedrock aquifers of the Johannesburg area,South Africa

Groundwater is the major source of water and a critical resource for socioeconomic development in semi-arid environments like the Johannesburg area. Environmental isotopes are employed in this study to characterise groundwater recharge and flow mechanisms in the bedrock aquifers of Johannesburg, which is known for polluted surface water. With the exception of boreholes near the Hartbeespoort Dam, groundwater in the study area was derived from meteoric water that has undergone some degree of evaporation before recharge, possibly via diffuse mechanisms. Boreholes that tap groundwater from the Transvaal Supergroup Formation show depletion in δ¹⁸O and δ²H values. This is attributed to diffuse recharge through weathering fractures at high elevation that are undergoing deep circulation or recharge from depleted rainfall from the high-latitude moisture sources. The influence of focused recharge from the Hartbeespoort Dam was observed in the boreholes north of the dam, possibly as a result of the north–south trending fault lines and the north-dipping fractures in the bedding planes of quartzites. This is also supported by a reservoir water budget method which indicated a mean annual net flux of 2,084,131 m³ from Hartbeespoort Dam recharging groundwater per annum. Using tritium in the dam and boreholes located at 750 m and 5400 m downstream, average groundwater flow velocity was estimated as 202 m/year. An open system was observed in shale, andesite and granitic-gneiss aquifers indicating soil CO₂ as a dominant source of carbon (δ¹³C) in groundwater. A closed system was also observed in dolomitic aquifers indicating carbonate dissolution as the predominant source of carbon.     

Electrical resistivity imaging and dye tracer test for the estimation of water leakage paths from reservoir of Akdeğirmen Dam in Afyonkarahisar,Turkey

The seepage occurrence from the reservoir on the right bank of the Akde?irmen Dam located in Afyonkarahisar province in the Turkey has been investigated. When the reservoir began to fill with water, a large amount of water seepage occurred at the dam. The seepage developed at the base of the spillway and the right downstream slope of the dam. The various attempts have been made to reduce the seepage using grouting. Although the additional grouting operations was reduced the seepage at the base of the spillway, there has not been a reduction in seepage at the water outlet location at the downstream slope. Electrical resistivity measurements along the eight lines with the dipole–dipole array and dye tracer tests were performed in order to identify the seepage locations. The interpretation of electrical resistivity data showed the distribution of strata and the seepage zone along the right downstream of the dam. Groundwater flow rates calculated from dye tests indicated that there is an excessive seepage south-eastwardly on the downstream slope of the dam. Integrated interpretation of resistivity data and dye tests indicate that the seepage paths are in the direction from NW to E and SE.     

Trends and evolution of contamination in a well-dated water reservoir sedimentary archive: the Brno Dam, Moravia, Czech Republic

The sedimentary record from dams can provide important information about stratigraphy and pollution history of densely populated river basins. The Brno Dam is a small reservoir within the Morava River catchment (Czech Republic) accumulating lacustrine sediments since 1940 (dam filling). The stratigraphy of the dam sediments was studied using multiproxy stratigraphic analysis (X-ray densitometry, bulk magnetic susceptibility, diffuse spectral reflectance and cation-exchange capacity) of five sediment cores supported by ground-penetration radar sections. Concentrations of heavy metals were studied by X-ray fluorescence analysis. The thickness of the dam sediments decreases from 220 cm in the proximal part, near the feeder, to only 10 cm in the distal part, near the dyke. Sediments consist predominantly of finely-laminated silty sands, silts and clays. The sedimentation rate for the last ~22 years, inferred from ¹³⁷Cs dating, decreases from 4.2 cm per year in the proximal part of the dam to 0.29 cm per year in its distal part. Distinct long-term trends were found in the depth profiles of heavy metal concentrations. The heavy metal contents increase significantly after 1940 in all cores, with peak concentrations confined to layers deposited in the 1960s and 1980s. A decreasing trend occurred after 1989 (the decline in Czech heavy industry). The results also show that heavy metal contamination is dependent on lithology (hyperpycnal flow layers related to floods). Increased concentrations of phosphorus in the sediments indicate long-term eutrophication of the dam. Despite the recent decreasing trends in heavy metal concentrations the phosphorus contents remain high in recent years and have caused persisting problems with algal growth in the dam mentioned by previous authors.     

Large-scale structure of Calamus River deposits (Nebraska, USA) revealed using ground-penetrating radar

The large-scale (i.e. bar-scale) structure of channel deposits of the braided, low-sinuosity Calamus River, Nebraska, is described using ground-penetrating radar (GPR) profiles combined with vibracores. Basal erosion surfaces are generally overlain by medium-scale, trough-cross-stratified (sets 3–25 cm thick), very coarse to medium sands, that are associated with relatively high amplitude, discontinuous GPR reflectors. Overlying deposits are bioturbated, small-scale cross-stratified (sets <3 cm thick) and vegetation-rich, fine to very-fine sands, that are associated with low-amplitude discontinuous reflectors. Near-surface peat and turf have no associated GPR reflectors. In along-stream profiles through braid and point bars, most GPR reflectors dip downstream at up to 2° relative to the basal erosion surface, but some reflectors in the upstream parts of bars are parallel to the basal erosion surface or dip upstream. In cross-stream profiles through bars, GPR reflectors are either approximately parallel to bar surfaces or have low-angle inclinations (up to 6°) towards cut banks of adjacent curved channels. Basal erosion surfaces become deeper towards cut banks of curved channels. These structures can be explained by lateral and downstream growth of bars combined with vertical accretion. Convex upwards forms up to 0·5 m high, several metres across and tens of metres long represent episodic accretion of unit bars (scroll bars and bar heads). Stratal patterns in channel fills record a complicated history of erosion and deposition during filling, including migration of relatively small bars. A revised facies model for this type of sandy, braided river has been constructed based on this new information on large-scale bedding structure.     

Ground-penetrating radar detection of small-scale channels,joints and faults in the unconsolidated sediments of the Atlantic Coastal Plain

The geological characterization of the shallow subsurface in the unconsolidated sediments of the Atlantic Coastal Plain, and other unconsolidated sediment regimes, may involve jointing, faulting, and channeling not readily detectable by conventional drilling and mapping. A knowledge of these features is required in environmental, geotechnical, and geomorphological studies. Ground-penetrating radar (GPR) may be used to routinely map these structures. Three principal shallow subsurface features are readily detectable using GPR: paleochannels, joints or fractures, and faults. The detection of paleochannels is dependent on the scale of the GPR survey and the attitude of the channel within the survey area. Channel morphological features such as scour surfaces, point bars, and thalwegs are observable. Joints and fractures are more difficult to detect depending upon size, patterns, orientation, and fill material. Vertical joints may not be visible to radar unless they are wider than the sampling interval or are filled with radar-opaque materials such as limonite. Angled joints or fractures may be distinguished by an apparent continuous reflector on the radar profile. Faulting on radar profiles may be observed by the offset of reflectors, the image of the fault plane, or the coherent interpretation of a fault system.     

A geophysical investigation of the Late Roman underground settlement at Aydintepe,Northeast Turkey

The Aydintepe underground settlement in northeastern Turkey is a series of subsurface galleries carved in Eocene‐aged volcanic tuff. Rescue excavations conducted by the Local Archaeological Museum of Erzurum in 1996 and 1997 uncovered a large settlement with several underground rooms linked by passages. According to the excavators, it may have been built as a hideout and shelter by the first Christians who were banished by the Romans during the 3rd century A.D. Despite its historical and touristic value, parts of the underground settlement at Aydintepe have been destroyed to make room for the construction of new buildings in the modern town. As part of a conservation strategy for this important archaeological resource, a series of ground penetrating radar (GPR) and electrical resistivity measurements were conducted along eight profiles between 2003 and 2005. GPR soundings with a 100‐MHz unshielded antenna yielded reflected hyperbolic signals with high amplitude from tunnel structures. These highamplitude signals corresponded to areas of high electrical resistivity. These anomalies allow us to determine the probable locations of tunnels within the underground settlement and they provide important data that can be used to prevent future damage from modern construction. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.